Category: Guides

How to hire African professional talent from North America and Europe

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

Africa is full of talented freelancers contributing immensely to the digital world. So far, the number of African freelancers providing top-notch services relevant to clients around the globe are increasing daily. Non-African employers looking to hire from Africa’s online marketplace will benefit greatly from such services, especially if they pass through the right channel.  

 

How do you hire? 

Before delving into hiring African professionals, there are some questions to ask yourself as a client. Do I need virtual services? Do I know a platform with service providers in more than one African country? Can I effectively communicate using the chosen platform? Is the hiring platform credible with reviews to show for it? 

 

Interestingly, Bookings Africa checks the list as we pride ourselves as a reliable platform for connecting talents with clients. Whether you want to hire an influencer for showcasing your brand in the African market or a photographer to capture events in Africa, they are all readily available on the platform.

 

The hiring process is simple – 

  • Create a client profile on the Bookings Africa platform 
  • Check through the services offered to choose a talent. Once you click on a service, you will see different skills charging different prices for their services. 
  • Compare the talents’ prices, choose one or more and book them. You can be sure with Bookings Africa that you will get quality services as all the service providers are verified. Plus, payment for the service will remain in escrow until you have approved a well-completed job. 

 

What services can be rendered? 

Depending on the services you want, you can make the selection and book immediately. Check through the list of virtual services on the Bookings Africa platform. But if you are coming into Africa and want to hire physical freelancers, there are many services on the platform. Trust me; Bookings Africa gives you a seamless hiring process at a great price. 

 

Why choose Bookings Africa for professional hires? 

There are so many reasons Bookings Africa should be a no1 choice for your professional hire. Some of them are: 

  • We are the largest online gig marketplace in Africa 
  • We offer the best connection between and clients and talents with our top-notch technology 
  • You can book a service provider within an hour and get excellent service delivered 
  • You can find a service provider that fits your budget through our app
  • Our payment method is safe and reliable 

So, If you want a credible firm to link you to the service providers required for your next big project, Bookings Africa is the best partner. Hire African professionals today and reach the many incredible talents from Bookings Africa. Happy hiring!

 

Book talented actors in 1 hour 

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

 

Many years ago, we could only communicate with our loved ones through letters, which could take months to reach the receiver. Technology came, and the narrative was changed. We can now access our friends and anyone around the globe in seconds. 

In the past, we could only get the services of actors through recommendations or after advertising vacancies through posters and sometimes online ads. With innovative technology offered in Bookings Africa, you can bid farewell to the conventional way of bookings. 

By signing up as a client on Bookings Africa, you can get as many actors as you want in a project. The steps are simple. 

Step 1: Download the Bookings Africa app on your phone or PC

Step 2: Sign up as a client 

Step 3: Fill in your details 

Step 4: Wait for confirmation from the customer service team 

Step 5: Search for actors and compare their prices 

Step 6: Book as many actors as you want. 

In six easy steps, you can book the services of any service provider you need on the Bookings Africa platform. It becomes even easier and faster if you have been a client before, as you can skip the first four steps to get the actors, social media influencers or any other talents from the pool of top African talents. 

What are you waiting for? Sign up as a client today and enjoy the ease of booking service providers on the go. The Future of work is at your fingertips!

 

Want Your First Booking on Bookings Africa? Here is how…

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

 

It is great you have signed up as a service provider on Bookings Africa, but that is just the first significant milestone. If you want to move from being among the number of registered service providers to getting booked, there are some key steps to follow. 

Step one- Complete your bio. 

 

 

 

This is the first place you can pitch yourself to your potential client. Therefore, completing it is very important. Be clear in your description of yourself, as the client will see this as the first impression of your brand. If you have more than one service to offer, be clear in each and don’t mix them up as you are targeting a different audience. If you need help writing a captivating description, read our expert tip here on that. Ultimately, make sure you share your skill using the best words possible. 

Step two- Upload your portfolio. 

The next step to getting your first booking is to upload your portfolio. All you need to know about uploading a portfolio correctly is here.. If you still need help with any other questions on your bookings, find some assistance through our FAQ. 

Step three- Get approved.

Once you have uploaded your portfolio, the next step is to get approved, which involves providing relevant documents. Some of the documents include a valid ID card (international passport or voter’s card) and your registered phone number. Having submitted all these documents, you will need to wait for approval from the CS team. When it gets approved, your account on Bookings Africa will go live, and you can then begin to get bookings. 

Simple right? Don’t waste any more time; follow these three steps and start earning on the biggest online Africa gig marketplace. Happy freelancing!

 

Event & Ticketing: Everything You Need to Know

Posted on by Ugochi Obilonu

Every now and then, we all want to relax, let our hair down, and take a break from ADULTING. And this is really important because life gets so busy, we hardly have time to enjoy living. 

At Bookings Africa, we are 100% pro-enjoyment and we have the best deals for event organizers, show promoters, and for all persons looking for the latest events to attend.

If you are an event organizer looking for the cheapest way to sell tickets online, or a fan looking for an online ticket with the lowest fees, Bookings Africa is your one-stop shop. 

The benefits of using a hosting platform like Bookings Africa to sell event tickets are numerous. 

  1. Tracking: You can track all event ticket sales statistics, cancellations, payments, and attendees’ information on your dashboard. You can manage the totality of your event with ease.
  2. Ease: The platform is so easy to navigate and we will prove that to you shortly. You really do not have to be tech-savvy to sell or buy tickets on the platform. Bookings Africa has created a self-service platform empowering event organizers to host their events virtually, sell tickets, and reach audiences.
  3. Assessable: Bookings Africa is one of the best online ticket-selling sites. Past reviews and ratings prove it. We do not just host your ticket sales; we also give a one-time promotion for it. And if it happens that you need our help with further publicity, we are happy to help.

We have made room for you regardless of the kind of event (business or social). We have had some of your favorite African stars such as Seun Anikulapo Kuti sell his event ticket on our platform. We’ve also had career professionals sell tickets to their training events in Lagos and beyond as well. 

 

How to Create Events/Sell Tickets

1. Sign Up: To create an event on the Bookings Africa Platform, you have to sign-up. This is totally free and the steps are easy to follow. 

 

 

2. Add Event Cover: One of the key ways to sell event tickets quickly is to have a catchy yet detailed flier or design. Depending on what you want to communicate to your audience, ensure that your graphics are inviting, educative or fun. Let it also carry complete yet concise information about the event.

3. Fill in Event Details: Select if your event is virtual or physical, name your event and then choose a category (you are required to choose a category at the registration stage, so select what you choose while registering). Also, do not forget to describe your event.

 

BookingsAfrica.com allows a maximum of 50 tickets to be sold for virtual events whereas, an unlimited number of tickets can be sold for physical events.  Now that you are all set up, you can share your ticket link on several platforms. However, if extra publicity for the event is needed, you can contact us at [email protected]. 

 

How to Buy a Ticket

 

 

You have to sign in to be able to buy tickets. Events that are currently ongoing will show up on the event page and you can just click BUY TICKET. Fill in your details, proceed to make payment, and wait for your event date. 

 

The processes for both creating events and buying tickets are seamless and easy. Go ahead and start your event ticketing journey today. 

 

How To Write The Best Description That Will Attract Clients

Posted on by Ugochi Obilonu

People often say don’t judge a book by its cover but in the world of marketing, the book is often first judged by its cover. 

A freelancer’s description is one of the major ways of striking a good first impression on your potential clients. Without a description or bio, it becomes quite difficult for you to attract clients. 

People like to know stuff. You cannot let your clients assume who you are or what you do. You have to inform them and with as few words as possible. 

Now the question is, “What should I write in my bio?”, “How do I describe myself and my business?”. This article is your best bet at creating a short, professional bio that keeps clients attracted to you. 

 

How to Write a Professional Bio

The method of creating a world-class, profit-generating bio is not cast in stone. You just need to be attentive to a few details and your bio is ready. 

 

1. Outline: Make a list of the services you offer as a freelancer or gig worker. If you are a special effects make-up artist, put that on the list. If you photograph just weddings, add it to your list. 

 

Lists provides clarity for you on what you want to do and what you do not want to do. It tailors your efforts to a few niches and keeps you focused on those ideas. So go ahead and write your services down.

 

2. Write: After you have made a comprehensive list of the services you wish to offer, write a few samples. No matter how ridiculous these sample bios sound, just keep writing till you have successfully explained what you offer in a concise and easy-to-understand way.

 

3. Edit: Show one or more people the samples of your written bio. Be open to constructive feedback, make edits and go ahead to attach the description to your profile. 

 Always remember that you “OWE” us a simple description.

 

 

Creative Bio Examples: Dos and Don’ts in Bio Writing

Now that we know the method to write, you also need to be able to differentiate a bio that is good from one that isn’t.

1. In writing a bio or description that attracts clients, learn to speak to people’s gain or pain points without sounding too sales-y


Now from the two examples above, who do you think clients will want to work with the most? I bet you chose the latter.

Your ability to communicate and relate with your target audience is one of the things that set you apart.

 

 

2. Don’t be pompous or timid. Communicate your value with confidence. 

 

 

From the above examples, can you identify which is pompous, timid, and confident? This doesn’t mean that you can’t talk about your expertise but there are better ways to go about it.

 


 

 

3. Keep SEO in mind. Think like your clients and use keywords that they will regularly search for. All the examples above have keywords in them and are therefore SEO worthy. For example, maternity shoot, pregnant woman, profit and loss account, business, etc.

 

 

4. Use simple or common English. You don’t want your potential clients using a dictionary when they read your bio, do you? I’m sure you don’t so keep grammar simple and watch out for grammatical or punctuation errors.

 

 

5. Go straight to the point.


The above example immediately communicates to potential clients what day the freelancer is available and also creates a sense of urgency with the word only. 

Depending on how you set your rates and availability as a freelancer on the Bookings Africa site, this type of bio can attract the target audience who can pay your rates and leave others wishing.

 

 

 

6. End with a Call-to-Action. Like we said in the beginning, people like to know details and this includes being told what to do next. Do not assume that your potential client knows what to do next. 

On that note, always add a call to action on your bio. Use phrases such as

  • Go ahead to schedule a booking.
  • Reach out by clicking BOOK below
  • We can chat after you book
  • Let’s get started

 

Your description is like a business card. People would usually just glance through at first look. Ensure that there’s something that keeps them interested in knowing more and taking action. 

How To Set Up Your Own Photo Studio

Posted on by Ugochi Obilonu

 

It takes a lot of courage to decide to start your own freelance practice as a photographer. 

Most of the time, many photographers cannot afford to own a workspace of their own at the beginning of their careers. The photographers who are able to own a studio either have a lot of money laying around or have received funding to boost their business. 

If you are a newbie photographer or freelancer who doesn’t own a studio and is tired of spending most of your profit renting a studio, then this post is for you. 

You will learn:

  1. How to set up your own studio with equipment in your house
  2. Where to buy affordable but quality photography equipment

 

DIY Home Photo Studio

People set up home photo studios for several reasons the most common being the need to cut overhead costs. The following steps will guide you in creating an aesthetically pleasing studio in your home.

1. Ambiance & Location: Ensure that the location of this studio has accessible roads and an ambiance that is appealing. You do not want to invite a client over to a location that looks unsafe, unkempt, and unpleasant. 

 

 

 

Despite the fact that you want to set up a home studio, it doesn’t have to be your home. You can liaise with a friend to set up in their home, workspace, or office if yours isn’t as good. Please ensure that the place has proper ventilation and is free of foul smells. Trust me, this turns many clients off irrespective of their pocket size.

Let the room be at least 100 square meters i.e at least 5 people can move around comfortably in the room. 


2. Lightening: The key ingredient to a beautiful picture is lightening. Now depending on the type of picture you are trying to create, you can have different moods set. 

The first type of light you need will be natural light: straight from the sun and free of charge. The beautiful light from the sun creates timeless and crisp images. With a clear white wall and this natural light, you’ll get the best portrait photographs.

 

 

 

Next up, invest in light. Depending on your location in Africa, there are several local markets and online shops where you can shop for lights. You can start up with flat light and also a backlight. The flat light will help in amplifying the light that falls on your object’s face, thereby removing shadows and the backlight can help with creating silhouettes. To balance and control the different lights, use a reflector and softboxes as well. 

 

 

3. Furniture and Props: Every good studio needs good furniture. Furniture has been known to inspire several poses and inspire confidence in your clients. Depending on what your preferred studio interior décor is, buy furniture that goes with your theme. 

 

 

 

Sometimes, you don’t even need to buy anything new. Look around your home and get creative. There are so many pieces lying around, that can be used as props or give more character to your photograph/picture.

 

 

 

4. Backdrops: Backdrops are so important for any studio. Backdrops can make or mar your images as they determine the feel of the image you hope to create. Backdrops are as important as choosing lenses for your photographs.

 

 

 

You do not have to get high-end backdrop options when shopping. Although there are several kinds of backdrop options, fabrics tend to be the most common option of all. Fabrics such as, polyester, canvas, muslin, and stretch knit can be found in any local market near you or can be shopped from online stores. 

The best sizes for home or DIY studios will be 5×7 feet, 8×10 feet, and 12×14 feet. These are perfect for baby and pet images, headshots or portraits, and couples or group photographs respectively. 

 

 

5. Camera and Lenses: Finally, we get to the part you’ve probably been waiting for. To take a good picture, we need a good camera or lens. 

 

 

 

 

Apple has created some of the most creative gadgets. With an iPhone, you can take good pictures that look similar to that of a camera.

 

 

However, if you can afford to buy a camera, ensure that you buy different lenses as well. For studio photos, lenses with focal lengths ranging from 18mm-55mm are great for creative photos.

 

And voila! Your DIY studio is set up and ready to be used. 

 

Communicate Directly with our clients using our Chat/Messaging Feature

Posted on by Ugochi Obilonu

You are doing fantastic! You just booked a client and you are on your way to making even more money.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it is important that you have a quick chat with your client and you know, get to know them a little. This is where our Chat/Messaging Feature comes in.

To achieve customer satisfaction, communication is a big deal. You and your client have to be of one mind and on the same page. 

Perks of using the Chat/Messaging Feature

Transparency: Our chat/messaging feature gives you the transparency required for any business deal. In case of any misunderstandings, you can always refer back to the chats for clarification purposes and the chats can serve as proof.

Ease: The Chat Feature is easy to use. Here’s how you do it:

-Log into your dashboard

-Click on the search bar, and look for the service you require

-Compare search option

-Click on the chat symbol to begin conversations with the Service Provider

Start chatting

Brilliant: You can tell when your client is online, offline, typing, or has read your message.

This chat/messaging feature is a cool way to keep your clients abreast of any changes or new developments. It works both on the app and website. Today is a good day to try it out.

How to Cancel a Booking as a Service Provider

Posted on by Ugochi Obilonu

Life happens and there are countless reasons people cancel fixed appointments. 

If a Service Provider has to cancel a booking, here’s how to do this:

  1. Log in to your account
  2. Go to your Dashboard and then accepted bookings
  3. Click on the particular booking you want to cancel and then cancel.

We think it’s only fitting for you to inform your client of the cancellations before you go ahead with it. The client will be refunded in full amount.

For further questions, inquiries or challenges, please contact us. 

Booking Cancellation: Process and Policies

Posted on by Ugochi Obilonu

Now and again, a client or service provider has to cancel a booking due to personal reasons or unforeseen circumstances. Cancellations suck but there’s always a solution to these and that’s what we will show in this article.

How to Cancel Booking as a Client

Amanda booked a makeup artiste on BookingsAfrica.com. She and the make-up artiste have discussed and finalized plans, looks, and meeting points but something comes up on Amanda’s end and she has to cancel the booking. 

Here’s how Amanda should go about the cancellation

  1. Log in to your Client account
  2. Go to your dashboard and look out for ongoing booking
  3. Click on the particular booking and then cancel

We would suggest that before this cancellation, you have a chat with the service provider but this isn’t a critical step. 

However, you must also know that our cancellation policy protects all users and as such, if any client cancels a booking less than 48 hours before the time of completion, we charge a penalty fee to that client. The client is obliged to pay 50% of the agreed Service Provider’s rate. 

This penalty charge is our way of ensuring that there is a fair treatment to any user on the platform be it, a client or service provider.  This is just one of the benefits of using Bookings Africa.

To know how to cancel a booking as a service provider in case of unforeseen circumstances, read here.

How to Conduct Yourself During Service Delivery

Posted on by Sandra Adodo

 

Congratulations, you have finally gotten booked! But before you go to deliver your service either physically or virtually, there are some service delivery checklists to consider. Every freelancer needs to get familiar with the dos and don’ts of service delivery if they want to retain any clients. Some of these tips are common but emphasizing them again will guide you to delivering what the client needs and getting booked again. Ready or not to dive in? Let’s go!

  1. Timeliness

If a client requests a mobile beauty therapist and explicitly uses the locator map on the Bookings Africa app to get someone close by, they only want the service provider quickly. If you are available and finally get booked, the first thing that should be on your mind is creating a first impression involving timeliness. Some situations might delay you a bit, especially in Lagos, Nigeria, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make an extra effort to show up on time. If you have to take Uber to make it faster, invest in that because getting there on time is a priority. Note that it is best not to accept a booking if you can’t get there in good time.

  1. Friendliness

Even if you deliver the service virtually, let the client feel warmth in your tone; determine to stay friendly throughout the service and keep out distractions that might want to change your mood. If you are unsure of what the client wants, read our blog post that answers how to give the best customer service to your clients. Also, when delivering physical services to your client, start with a smile and end the service delivery with a smile always.

  1. Respect

Every freelancer should aim at making their client feel respected, not only providing services. For instance, if you go to a groceries shop and the attendant rudely asks for your card or starts shouting at you for taking time to drop off your goods. How would you feel? The point is when they meet your needs by receiving payments, you also indirectly expect them to show a level of respect. That act alone can make you choose another store the next time. This is the same understanding every service provider must have before providing service. Give your best at all times.

  1. Be clear

To maintain clarity during discussions, it is imperative you communicate with your client especially if you are going to be a little late for your appointment. Also, let your clients know how you will deliver the job. For instance, as a voice-over artist, you can get the project done without leaving your apartment or go to the client’s studio, as it is a flexible delivery option. If you only do home service, let your client be aware and if it is the other way round, still duly inform your client.

  1. Set a Standard, don’t over-promise but over-deliver 

Most freelancers make a mistake when they go for service delivery because they commit too much and deliver less. If you set a deadline for a client, you should be more than able to deliver at the stipulated time and not plan to ask for an extended time. If you have agreed on a time of meeting, you can exceed the client’s expectation to go before time. As a chef, you can overdeliver by making an extra plate which wasn’t expected before. Also, photographers can decide to snap more than the proposed number of pictures to give the clients varieties. The list goes on and on for other service providers to over-deliver when delivering service. If this is not a sure-fire way of retaining your client, I don’t know what is.

Here you go- the five service delivery tips you need to know as a freelancer. If you have other things on your checklist you want to share, feel free to drop them in the comment section. Nevertheless, don’t neglect any of these five if you want to get booked consistently.